My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 232 Zuo Liangyu: I'm not chasing Zhang Xianzhong, I'm chasing my title!

Before Zuo Liangyu could speak, Li Dingguo spat at him, right at Zuo Liangyu's feet, and then cursed viciously:

"You corrupt official! It's just bad luck that I've fallen into your hands today."

"Kill me if you want, but if you want me to betray the Western King, not a chance!"

Zuo Liangyu was not angry. Instead, he looked at Li Dingguo with great appreciation, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

"I'll keep you around; you'll be very useful in the future, and you might even thank me then."

Zuo Liangyu said with a playful expression.

Li Dingguo was completely bewildered by what Zuo Liangyu was saying, having no idea what he meant.

However, Zuo Liangyu was too lazy to say anything more, and simply waved his hand casually, instructing his subordinates:

"Suppress him and lock him up. Whatever you do, don't let him commit suicide."

The subordinate obeyed the order and hurriedly stepped forward to stuff a rag into Li Dingguo's mouth and led him to the back.

Li Dingguo struggled fiercely, kicking his legs wildly in an attempt to break free of his restraints, but to no avail, and could only be dragged away.

Immediately afterwards, a soldier rushed over, cupped his hands, and reported:

"Sir, someone just saw Liu Wenxiu leading his men away, seemingly heading towards Xinyang."

"If nothing unexpected happens, they may have already informed Zhang Xianzhong about what's happening here. What should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liangyu remained calm and composed, his face expressionless. After a moment's thought, he said:
"It's alright. If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Xianzhong is already attacking Xinyang City."

"After receiving this news, he will either continue to attack Xinyang City or retreat, which will not have much impact on us."

"If he captures Xinyang, we can go there and wipe them out in one fell swoop. That would be a great achievement!"

"If he chooses to retreat, we can still save Xinyang City, which would be a great achievement."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers all nodded in sudden understanding.

Immediately afterwards, Zuo Liangyu ordered the confiscation of the weapons and armor of the surrendered veteran soldiers. He then left a thousand men to guard them, while he led the remaining troops in a grand procession straight to Xinyang City.

Meanwhile, Xinyang City was suffering the relentless ravages of war.

Wang Qiaonian stood on the city wall, looking at the densely packed Zhang Xianzhong army outside the city, his expression quite solemn.

Despite Wang Qiaonian leading the defending troops to kill thousands of enemies, Zhang Xianzhong's troops continued to surge forward like a tidal wave.

As the battle continued, the artillery fire intensified, with shells raining down on the city walls, sending bricks and stones flying and dust billowing everywhere.

Suddenly, with a loud "boom," a large gap was blown open in the city gate of Xinyang.

In an instant, gravel and wood chips flew everywhere, and smoke filled the area beneath the city walls.

Standing in the ranks, Zhang Xianzhong saw the city gate breached and couldn't help but burst into laughter, his laughter filled with pride and arrogance.

"I told you that taking this small, dilapidated city would be no problem at all; it only took about two hours!"

Luo Yongcai, who was standing to the side, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately afterward, just as Zhang Xianzhong was about to order his men to rush in and loot, Liu Wenxiu rode up on horseback, panting heavily.

When Zhang Xianzhong saw Liu Wenxiu's disheveled appearance, his heart tightened, and an ominous premonition instantly surged into his mind.

Upon arriving before Zhang Xianzhong, Liu Wenxiu, her face filled with anxiety and breathless, said:
"Father, something terrible has happened! Zuo Liangyu has caught up with us, and our army can't stop him at all!"

Zhang Xianzhong's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly asked:

"What about Dingguo?"

A hint of reluctance flashed in Liu Wenxiu's eyes, and she lowered her head, saying in a rather heavy voice:
"Dingguo was trying to stop Zuo Liangyu from behind, but he has probably already been killed."

Zhang Xianzhong felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if a thousand arrows were piercing it.

It should be noted that he had always placed high hopes on Li Dingguo and valued him greatly, but he never expected that Li Dingguo would suffer such misfortune.

Their conversation was naturally overheard by Luo Rucai, who was standing nearby. The next second, without the slightest hesitation, Luo Rucai anxiously said to Zhang Xianzhong:

"Your Majesty, the plan has failed. Zuo Liangyu will likely catch up soon. Let's retreat quickly! As the saying goes, 'Where there's life, there's hope!'"

Zhang Xianzhong frowned, his face showing reluctance, and said:
"I understand what you're saying, but how can we just leave now that we've finally opened the city gates?"

"If the army runs out of food, retreating will only lead to certain death. We cannot retreat!"

As Zhang Xianzhong spoke, his gaze was fixed intently on Xinyang City before him.

Luo Rucai was so anxious that he stomped his feet and raised his voice.

"Your Majesty, what time is it? You're still thinking about supplies! If Zuo Liangyu catches up, we'll all be dead!"

"You can steal more food if you run out, but what's the point of stealing if you're going to lose your life?"

"Your Majesty, please do not act rashly; preserving your life is of utmost importance!"

But Zhang Xianzhong was blinded by rage and wouldn't listen to Luo Rucai's advice; his eyes were filled with madness.

"General Luo, my mind is made up, and you don't need to persuade me anymore. However, I promise you that after a quick looting, I will immediately retreat without lingering for even a moment."

Zhang Xianzhong was not unaware of Luo Rucai's concerns, but his army was short of food, and the siege had resulted in many casualties.

If he retreats without looting, how can he explain it to everyone?
Do they really think his old guard is so easily fooled?
Liu Wenxiu, who was standing to the side, had originally intended to persuade Zhang Xianzhong to retreat as soon as possible, but seeing Zhang Xianzhong's appearance, he knew that he could not persuade him.

They had no choice but to remain silent.

Seeing Zhang Xianzhong's stubbornness, Luo Rucai was furious, his face turning red with anger. However, he was helpless and could only suppress his anger and remain silent.

He began to secretly calculate in his heart that if he led his troops to retreat alone at this moment, Zhang Xianzhong would definitely turn against him immediately.

Before Zuo Liangyu even arrives, he might be killed by Zhang Xianzhong.

For now, he can only stay here and wait and see.

In any case, as soon as Zuo Liangyu arrives, he immediately leads his men to retreat.

Zhang Xianzhong was foolish, but he was not!

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was immersed in his dream of soon entering the city to plunder, a sudden change occurred not far away.

Suddenly, the city gate of Xinyang collapsed with a loud crash, and a plume of pungent smoke, mixed with thick dust, billowed out.

Then, something completely unexpected happened.

Countless Ming soldiers suddenly charged out like tigers emerging from the mountains, and the leader was none other than Wang Qiaonian.

At this moment, Wang Qiaonian was wearing armor and riding a strong black warhorse, his eyes filled with ruthlessness and determination.

Behind him were only three thousand soldiers!

Wang Qiaonian raised his longsword high, its blade gleaming coldly, and shouted:
"My comrades, now is the crucial moment to serve our country! We must not let these bandits set foot in Xinyang City! Today, we must fight to the death and kill these traitors with me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless soldiers rushed out of the city like a surging tide, shouting as they engaged in close combat with the peasant army outside the city.

The army attacking the city from outside was just an ordinary peasant army, or to put it more precisely, just ordinary peasants.

Seeing thousands of government troops suddenly rush out of the city, the peasant army was so frightened that they turned and fled. Even those who were not afraid of death picked up their weapons and charged at the government troops were all killed instantly.

According to the original historical records, Wang Qiaonian was a loyal and righteous man who ultimately sacrificed his life for his country.

Little did anyone expect that, beneath the walls of Xinyang, he would be forced to sacrifice himself for his country in order to protect the city.
Wang Qiaonian knew that if Zhang Xianzhong were to breach the city, he and his soldiers would be doomed.

This also applies to most of the people in the city!

Since death is inevitable anyway, I might as well fight Zhang Xianzhong to the death. Even if I die in battle, I can still leave behind a good name for all time.

His only worry was whether Emperor Chongzhen would acknowledge that he had died for his country.

After all, everyone knows that Emperor Chongzhen was a harsh and ungrateful person.

But since things had come to this, he couldn't care less about anything else.
With Wang Qiaonian leading his troops out, Zhang Xianzhong's forces were thrown into disarray.

Zhang Xianzhong never expected that the government troops inside the city, who were already few in number and had suffered heavy losses after the siege, would still dare to take the initiative to go out of the city to fight.

It should be noted that Zhang Xianzhong currently has a force of 140,000 men, while the enemy has only a mere 3,000.

Three thousand against one hundred and forty thousand—this seemed almost insane to outsiders, yet it actually happened.

But Zhang Xianzhong had no time to think it through and hurriedly shouted orders at the top of his lungs.

"Kill them! Kill them! If we kill them, everything in this city will be ours!"

"Whatever you want, I will give it to you!"

The next second, countless peasant soldiers shouted slogans and surged forward like a tide, engaging in a fierce battle with the government troops.

Luo Rucai watched the chaotic battle with a cold eye, a deep worry flashing in his eyes.

Although the peasant army outnumbered the Ming army by dozens of times, the limited space meant that not all of their hundreds of thousands of soldiers could be deployed at once, resulting in a prolonged and evenly matched battle.

If nothing unexpected happens, these Ming troops will soon be swallowed up by the peasant army.

Unfortunately, there are always exceptions.
Not long after, the earth suddenly trembled violently, as if an angry beast was roaring.

Despite the extremely noisy environment, Luo Rucai instantly sensed the danger coming from behind him.

He was startled and turned around in surprise, only to see a troop of cavalry charging towards him like a whirlwind in the distance.

The billowing dust blotted out the sun, and the sound of horses' hooves was deafening.

Behind the cavalry were tens of thousands of well-equipped infantry!
If it wasn't Zuo Liangyu's troops, then who else could it be?
Oops!

Luo Rucai secretly groaned. He knew Zuo Liangyu would come, but he didn't expect him to arrive so quickly.

At the same time, Zhang Xianzhong also sensed the danger. He turned around and his face turned pale instantly; he was completely terrified.

He had originally thought that Li Dingguo could hold out for a while, but he hadn't expected Zuo Liangyu to arrive so quickly. Then, before Zhang Xianzhong could react, Luo Rucai quietly retreated to the side and beckoned to several of his confidants.

After giving a few whispered instructions, the confidants understood and quickly withdrew.

Not long after, Luo Rucai led his troops, like a cunning fox, and quietly left the battlefield, heading straight for the distance.

Zhang Xianzhong was just about to discuss countermeasures with Luo Rucai when he discovered that Luo had disappeared.

Immediately at that moment, a soldier rushed in with a panic.

"Your Majesty, Luo Rucai has fled with his troops!"

what?
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Xianzhong was both anxious and furious. His face was contorted with rage, and his eyes bulged like copper bells.

He never expected that Luo Rucai would be so disloyal, abandoning him and running away at this crucial moment.

But there was no time to worry about that now, because Zuo Liangyu's cavalry had charged in like hungry wolves, directly crushing the troops behind them.

Zhang Xianzhong, at this point, had nowhere to escape to, and in desperation, could only shout at the top of his lungs:

"Don't panic! Don't panic! Kill! Kill them!"

The soldiers of the old camp brandished their whips, driving the peasant army toward Zuo Liangyu's cavalry.

However, these peasant soldiers were no match for the well-trained cavalry; they were routed in a single encounter.

However, Zhang Xianzhong, relying on his superior numbers, eventually managed to temporarily slow the advance of his cavalry, which was soon surrounded by hundreds of thousands of peasant soldiers.

But this stalemate did not last long.

Because soon, Zuo Liangyu's follow-up troops arrived here.

When the peasant army saw more than 10,000 Ming soldiers surging towards them like a tide, they could no longer hold back!
With Ming troops inside the city in front and reinforcements from behind, what's the point of fighting?
At the same time, Wang Qiaonian, who was fighting fiercely below the city, also saw Zuo Liangyu coming to his aid.

However, because of the distance, he could not see who was coming, but he knew that it must be reinforcements.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Qiaonian waved his hand and shouted loudly to the soldiers around him who were still fighting fiercely:

"Brothers, kill them! Our reinforcements have arrived! Slaughter these bandits!"

The next second, Wang Qiaonian led his soldiers to charge forward again.

The morale of the Ming army was immediately boosted, while the peasant army had already completely collapsed.

In reality, most of the peasant soldiers, even if they couldn't afford to eat, wouldn't dare to have any thoughts of rebellion. The reason they joined Zhang Xianzhong's army was entirely because they were coerced.

Imagine Zhang Xianzhong leading 100,000 peasant soldiers to your hometown, looting all your food, taking your family away, and then forcing you to join him in a rebellion. Could you say no?
If you dare to say no, you will become a corpse right now!
Therefore, most of the peasant army did not actually agree with the idea of ​​rebellion; they were forced into it entirely.

Now that their lives are at stake, they naturally refuse to risk their lives for Zhang Xianzhong!

At the same time, when Zhang Xianzhong saw this scene, he knew that the situation was hopeless.

At this moment, his heart ached terribly. If he had chosen to retreat just now, he probably wouldn't be facing this predicament now.

Unfortunately, there's no going back in this world.
After realizing what was happening, Zhang Xianzhong immediately ordered his old camp soldiers to drive all the remaining peasant soldiers to the front to resist Zuo Liangyu's army.

He then quietly retreated with the remaining 20,000-plus veteran soldiers.

Indeed, at this very moment, Zhang Xianzhong was planning to repeat his old trick and use the "golden cicada shedding its shell" method again.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, making the battlefield seem even more brutal.

Astride his warhorse, Zuo Liangyu's gaze, sharp as two icy blades, was fixed on Zhang Xianzhong's fleeing figure.

To outsiders, Zhang Xianzhong was nothing more than a peasant army leader who rose from humble beginnings, but in Zuo Liangyu's mind, he was a stepping stone to his own promotion and wealth.

It should be noted that the Crown Prince had previously promised him that if he could kill Zhang Xianzhong or Li Zicheng, he would be granted the title of Marquis.

Li Zicheng was far away in Tongguan and had a large army. Zuo Liangyu knew he was no match for him, so he didn't intend to kill Li Zicheng.

However, Zhang Xianzhong was different. Now that Zhang Xianzhong was within reach, it was like a pie falling from the sky. How could he let it go?

Thinking of this, Zuo Liangyu felt a raging fire burning in his chest, and this fire spread through his blood vessels to his whole body, making his blood boil.

Without hesitation, he quickly began making arrangements.

"Send three thousand troops to drive away those scattered peasant armies! The rest of the soldiers, follow me and pursue Zhang Xianzhong's old camp with all our might!"

After the order was given, Zuo Liangyu took the lead and personally led the cavalry in a charge.

At this moment, Zuo Liangyu was like a soaring eagle, rushing towards Zhang Xianzhong with unstoppable momentum.

There was no way around it; the title of marquis was just too tempting for him!

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was preparing to lead his troops to flee, he suddenly noticed the sound of thunderous hooves coming from behind him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively turned around to look. He was instantly terrified, his face turning deathly pale. He almost scared the soul out of him.

Zhang Xianzhong truly did not expect that even after all this, Zuo Liangyu still wouldn't let him go!

It should be noted that in the past, whenever the battle situation reached such a point, Zuo Liangyu, out of consideration for preserving his own strength or nurturing the enemy for his own benefit, had never pursued the enemy so relentlessly.

But today, Zuo Liangyu has completely changed. His eyes reveal a resolute determination to achieve his goal, as if he is determined to kill him.

Fortunately, Zhang Xianzhong had no shortage of loyal adopted sons and generals around him.

Seeing that the situation was not good, these people immediately stepped forward to block Zhang Xianzhong.

Liu Wenxiu, with a resolute expression, shouted at Zhang Xianzhong:
"Father, you go first! We'll take care of things here!"

The other adopted sons and generals also expressed their opinions.

"Father, hurry!"

"Your Majesty, hurry! I'll buy you some time!"

Looking at the crowd before him, Zhang Xianzhong's eyes flashed with a hint of emotion.

But the next second, he shamelessly said:

"Alright, I'll go first. You must follow me!"

After saying this, Zhang Xianzhong, without another word, led his three thousand elite troops in a hasty retreat along the dusty path.

He knew in his heart that if he took too many troops with him, the soldiers left behind to cover the rear would be unable to withstand Zuo Liangyu's fierce pursuit, and his own life would be in danger.

So he hardened his heart and kept most of the soldiers behind.

Although it hurt a little, it was nothing compared to his own life.

As long as he lives, he has the opportunity to raise an army of hundreds of thousands again.
These soldiers who were forced to stay behind to cover the retreat, though called "Old Battalion," were mostly farmers.

Even though the army included some surrendered Ming soldiers, it still paled in comparison to the well-equipped officers and soldiers under Zuo Liangyu who received full pay.

As Zuo Liangyu led his troops in a fierce attack, the soldiers of the old camp were immediately filled with panic, and the ranks were in turmoil.

Some soldiers' legs went weak, some had fear in their eyes, and some even began to whisper about whether they should run away.

Fortunately, Liu Wenxiu and others shouted in time, which calmed everyone down and they bravely rushed towards Zuo Liangyu.

Zuo Liangyu's gaze had been fixed on Zhang Xianzhong, but seeing the old camp soldiers charging towards him, he had no choice but to look away and lead his cavalry to charge.

In an instant, the two cavalrymen clashed fiercely amidst a cloud of dust, like two arrows released from a bow.

Zuo Liangyu had 5,000 cavalry, while Zhang Xianzhong also had 5,000 cavalry, but he had taken 3,000 with him, leaving him with less than 2,000.

Therefore, in just one encounter, Zhang Xianzhong's cavalry was scattered and thrown into chaos.

Not only were men and horses thrown into disarray, but weapons were also scattered all over the ground, and screams of agony echoed everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, Zuo Liangyu's more than 10,000 infantrymen surged forward like a tidal wave and engaged in fierce fighting with the old camp soldiers.

In an instant, shouts of battle and the clash of weapons mingled together, shaking the earth as if the whole world was teetering on the brink of collapse in this fierce fight.

In the midst of the chaos, Zuo Liangyu had already led two thousand cavalrymen away from the battlefield and chased after Zhang Xianzhong like a bolt of lightning.

Zuo Liangyu's mind is now filled with thoughts of Zhang Xianzhong and the marquisate he so desperately desires.

The two sides chased each other for miles, and before long they had covered dozens of miles.

During this time, Zhang Xianzhong would occasionally look back to check the situation behind him.

Seeing Zuo Liangyu relentlessly pursuing him like a leech, Zhang Xianzhong's anger flared up instantly.

He really couldn't understand why Zuo Liangyu was suddenly working so hard.
He only had three thousand men left, so why wouldn't Zuo Liangyu let him go?
Everything should have its limits. If you really push yourself too far, you might as well fight to the death and perish together!
Just as Zhang Xianzhong was feeling angry, a trusted aide approached him in a flustered manner and asked:

"Your Majesty, what should we do now? It seems that Zuo Liangyu won't give up until he catches up with us!"

This completely ignited the nameless fire in Zhang Xianzhong's heart, and he couldn't extinguish it no matter what he did!
Immediately afterwards, Zhang Xianzhong pulled on the reins and gradually stopped. Although the personal guards following him were somewhat confused, they also stopped.

Immediately, Zuo Liangyu gritted his teeth and said fiercely:
"That damned bastard is really treating me like a dog! I'm not running anymore, I'm going to fight him! It looks like I can't escape anyway!"

Immediately, Zhang Xianzhong decisively issued the order.

The next second, the three thousand cavalrymen turned their horses around and charged towards Zuo Liangyu.

In truth, Zhang Xianzhong did not want to confront Zuo Liangyu head-on, but now Zuo Liangyu was pressing him relentlessly, like a sharp knife held to his neck. He had no way to escape and could only grit his teeth and fight to the death.

After all, even the Great Western King has his pride.

At the same time, when Zuo Liangyu saw Zhang Xianzhong suddenly stop and turn his horse around to charge at him, a contemptuous sneer instantly appeared on his lips.

That smile seemed to mock Zhang Xianzhong for overestimating his abilities.

In an instant, Zuo Liangyu waved his hand, and the personal guards beside him received the order and immediately raised their guns to fire.

boom! boom! boom!
A burst of gunfire suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap, and dozens of Zhang Xianzhong's men instantly fell to the ground, shot.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xianzhong's fighting spirit, which had just begun to rise, was instantly extinguished, and he recklessly turned his horse around and fled forward again.

(End of this chapter)